Tag: influencers

Hi, I’m Syama Meagher, CEO of Scaling Retail, and today let’s talk a little bit about how to work with micro influencers. You know, micro influencers are really the next big deal. Editors, bloggers, they’re all taking a look at these micro influencers in order to see what they’re posting and what they’re trending. It’s so interesting to see how in this age of influencers, and I say this very heavy, because obviously these guys charge a ton of money, these big influencers – but in this age of influencers, the micro influencers are really where it’s at. So today let’s unpack how we work with these guys, how to negotiate rates, and ultimately the best ways to engage with them.

So firstly, it’s very important, guys, I did a recent panel over at Conde Nast with the editors of Vogue, of W Magazine, and they were telling me that they were actually paying more and more attention to micro influencers, and the reason why is that micro influencers have much higher conversion than their large-scale influencer counterparts. Now when I say micro influencers, what I mean are essentially the influencers who have just a couple thousand followers. Maybe they actually only have about, you know, a 2% engagement, but possibly it’s even higher because these guys are in a more focused atmosphere.

Next, when working with these micro influencers, it’s important to really understand in this new era, some of them are not even sure that they can be charging money, or really how much they can be charging. So one of my favorite things to do when working with them is to simply offer up an email and say, “Hey, can we collaborate? Is there an opportunity to trade, or can we see how we can work together?” As opposed to saying, “Can you send me over your rate sheet or your ad sheets,” right? Those are obviously things that we’re used to seeing from larger influencers.

Of course, guys, these micro influencers are going to be growing just as the large-scale influencers did about five to seven years ago. So trust me, they’re going to be growing in size as well as in what it is that they’re asking for in terms of payment. So if you can get in on the ground now and start to activate with micro influencers, you might find actually, that you’re going to get a better rate, and better exposure, and better conversion than you would if you jump on this bandwagon in about a year from now.

Now of course, I’m hyping up these guys, but how actually do you evaluate them and where should you be looking? Well, personally I think it’s very important to take a look at smaller cities where these micro influencers might actually be able to have a much larger visibility in terms of their market. So when you think about places like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles that can be oversaturated, when it comes to micro influencers, think about smaller cities. Think about going global, right? Think about all the different places where your product might actually reach a more targeted audience that might actually convert a little bit better.

Now next, like I mentioned, you want to make sure these guys are turning over some great conversion. So take a look on their likes, take a look at who’s commenting, and do a little bit, you know, further digging. See who these people are and make sure that they’re real people and not just bots. Again, micro influencers do not have millions of followers, they might have 5,000 or less, so keep that in mind as you’re perusing.

All right guys, good luck with launching your micro influencer campaign. Remember, this is a new, hot marketing strategy. This is something that’s not going to be around in the next few years as these micro influencers continue to grow. Certainly there will more and more that are entering the space, but you definitely want to make sure that you get in on this trend before it blows up. If you want tips and tricks about how to do digital marketing, head on over to scalingretail.com, and if you’re ready to have us help you with your social media strategy, shoot us an email at hello@scalingretail. Please subscribe, follow our YouTube channel, it’s one of my favorite places to be, but we’re also on Instagram and Facebook. We are where you are. All right guys, have a fantastic day. Thanks, bye.

ABOUT SYAMA

Syama Meagher is the CEO of Scaling Retail and coauthor of the Fashion Designers Guide to Creating Fashion Websites that Sell.

She has been interviewed by Refinery 29, NPR, Founders LA, Daily Worth, U.S. News & World Report, and most recently partnered with TedxLA on a pre-event series on the importance of sustainability in fashion.